The single eye depicts the ‘third eye’ in every human being. The black spot inside stands for the imbibed, innate, hidden and insulated core values in every human being. The white background hints at the depth to be reached inwardly to be aware of the good nature of the Self. This awareness is the Self Imposed Vigilance (SIV). The arrows originating from SIV radiates in all direction, carrying the ‘spark of SIV’ in red color. The gap between the arrows and the outer portion of the eye indicates the distance to be traveled in the materialistic world and apply the SIV which lead towards good governance before merging ultimately with the Eternity.

This Logo was designed specially by Ms. Nima, a Bangalore based Artist.

There is a similarity between Heat and Corruption. You can not see heat but can feel it. Similarly, corruption can also be felt by its causes and effects. So like the Law of Thermodynamics, corruption also has its own dynamics. Suresh's law of Corruption Dynamics says all about it.

Suresh’s Law of Corruption Dynamics

(A brief write up on the poster presented in the University of Passau, Germany during the Economics of Corruption (EoC) Lecture held between 10-20 October 2005)

INTRODUCTION

It is always the cause that produces the effect. When it comes to corruption, it is the result of some causes. At the same time, Corruption is the cause in itself for some effects.

It is the absence of ‘heat’ that produces ‘cold’. Likewise, the absence of what leads to corruption and the absence of corruption leads to what is the pivotal point under this research. Undoubtedly, most of the problems that human being encounters today are the effect of the cause, which is corruption. The dynamics of corruption has a greater bearing on the well being of human kind. This paper, in fact, is the synopsis of the author for his Doctorate. The author, therefore, wishes to share this ‘Suresh’s Law of Corruption Dynamics’, with a view to get reaction from like-minded people involved in the fight against corruption globally and make the world a better place to live. "Lokâh Samastâh Sukhino Bhavantu" (For the happiness of all mankind).

The Law deals with four sets of variables namely, (i) Corruption, (ii) Governance, (iii) Values and (iv) Systems

CORRUPTION

The World Bank defined corruption as the use of public office for private gain. How the world has taken the issue of corruption so seriously is evident from the fact that the United Nation has made the UN Convention against Corruption in 2003 and many countries have become part of this Convention. This is the fall out of the realization that corruption has proven to be:

Ø ANTI POOR

Ø ANTI ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Ø ANTI NATIONAL

Therefore, corruption, which is unethical and immoral, has been recognized above all as the ‘enemy within’. It injures others, the society, the country and the whole world.

The mind, the seat of all vanities, is the origin of corruption. The inner instruments (antakarana) in man changes the behaviroural pattern of man. There are four inner instruments (antakarana), namely,

Ø The mind that thinks or imagines;

Ø The intellect that discriminates and decides;

Ø The ego that mistakes itself to be the self, doing and enjoying things; and

Ø The memory that recollects past experiences.

This Antakarana, and the five senses (organs of hearing, touch, seeing, tasting & smell) along with their cause, constitute what is called the subtle body. Ultimately, this subtle body is responsible for every human act.

GOVERNANCE

Good governance is perceived globally as the antidote for corruption. Basically, the following elements determine the effectiveness of governance:

1. Rule of Law

2. Probity in public life

3. Individual’s potential

4. Values

5. Productivity

6. Systems

Good Governance is possible only when these elements are at their best. These elements are again the human efforts, which vary with time, place and causation. They all fall under the two categories namely Values and Systems. Therefore, good Governance, which is related with Corruption do has relationship with the Values and Systems, which determine it.

VALUES

There are two sets of values:

Ø Ethical Values

Ø Moral Values

Supreme oneness is the rationale of all ethics and morality. The fundamental theme of ethics and morality is "Do not injure others, love everyone as your own self, because the whole universe is one’.

Broadly, values can be looked at from the individual’s point of view and from the society point of view. The following factors determine them:

Ø Individual’s sense of Value

o Integrity

§ Intellectual integrity

§ Moral integrity

§ Financial integrity

o Honesty & Truthfulness

§ Individual Character

· Family Background

· Education

· Self Confidence to hold character

Ø Societal Value

o From Individuality to Collectivity

It is this set of values that make the inner instruments (antakarana) to behave in a particular manner and thus becomes the crucial factor for the human behaviour and human acts.

SYSTEMS

The human being, as a result of his continuous quest for goodness, evolved various systems from time to time in every sphere of life using these inner instruments (antakarana). The system thus evolved construed of the following:

1. Rules

2. Regulations and

3. Procedures

The man sees things, which are found to be decidedly not acceptable and reject them and ultimately gets an answer to ‘how ought to live’. This inquisitive quest and his ability to find a solution, perhaps, is the reason for the success of the human kind for its continuous existence in the universe. The problem comes when the human desires are unreasonable and abnormal. Then he resorts to evil doing and corruption is one of the effects to this cause.

Systems have been evolved in every sphere for Governance. The world has recognized the need for Good Governance particularly in the context of globalization and growing menace of corruption. The anti-corruption measures across the globe including the UN Convention against corruption are towards achieving this goal.

THE LAW OF CORRUPTION DYNAMICS

With these determining factors of corruption, the Law of Corruption Dynamics is derived as follows:

(i) The most corrupt countries or societies are the one having poor governance. And the countries or societies with good governance are least corrupt. Let us denote degree of Governance as ‘G’ and the degree of Corruption as ‘C’. Then, both Governance (G) and Corruption (C) are inversely proportional to each other. That is, when ‘G’ increases, ‘C’ decreases and vice-versa;

i.e. G µ 1 / C .…………equation (i)

(ii) More the degree of Corruption (C), more will be the anti-corruption measures. Let us denote the degree of anti-corruption measure required as ‘A’. Thus ‘C’ is directly proportional to ‘A’;

i.e. C µ A ……………equation (ii)

(iii) Substituting equation (ii) in (i), we get

G µ 1 / A…………equation (iii)

This means, more the degree of Governance, less will be the need for anti-corruption measures and vice versa

(iv) However, scientifically, in order to equate the equation (ii), it requires the balancing factors. The balancing factors are Values and Systems. Let us denote Values as ‘V; and Systems as ‘S’. A good society is the one, which has the best of Values as its base. That is the reason why the level of corruption varies between countries and societies.

The Systems evolved is only to supplement the Values to make it a well-governed society. Therefore, it is the unlimited degree of Values combined with Value based Systems that balance the above equation. And thus, the Law of Corruption dynamics becomes

G = Vn (V+S) / C

OR

G = Vn (V+S) / A

where

G – Governance

V – Values

S – Systems

C – Level of Corruption

A – Anti Corruption measures

Where

n = 1 to a;

V # 0;

V > S; and

V/S ³ 2

CONCLUSION

According to this Law, the only way to minimize corruption is by increasing the degree of ‘V’ manifold. It is the value-based system that is going to work for the fight against corruption. Even when the degree of ‘S’ is zero (i.e. the absence of Systems), with highest degree of ‘V’, corruption could be minimized, if not totally removed.